Intelligently compressing data in a storage array

ABSTRACT

Intelligently compressing data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices, including: prioritizing, in dependence upon an expected benefit to be gained from compressing each data element, one or more data elements; receiving an amount of processing resources available for compressing the one or more of the data elements; and selecting, in dependence upon the prioritization of the one or more data elements and the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements, a data compression algorithm to utilize on one or more of the data elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Field of the Disclosure

The field of the disclosure is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, apparatus, and products for intelligently compressing data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices.

Description of Related Art

Enterprise storage systems frequently include a plurality of storage devices. Each of the storage devices may be capable of storing a particular amount of data, and as such, the storage system as a whole is characterized by the cumulative capacity of the storage devices that make up the storage system. In order to better utilize the capacity of the storage system, data reduction techniques are often applied to reduce the size of the data stored in the storage system. One such technique is data compression. Data compression, however, is frequently carried out in an unsophisticated, non-optimal manner.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Methods, apparatuses, and products for intelligently compressing data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices, including: prioritizing, in dependence upon an expected benefit to be gained from compressing each data element, one or more data elements; receiving an amount of processing resources available for compressing the one or more of the data elements; and selecting, in dependence upon the prioritization of the one or more data elements and the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements, a data compression algorithm to utilize on one or more of the data elements.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following more particular descriptions of example embodiments of the disclosure as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generally represent like parts of example embodiments of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 sets forth a block diagram of a system configured for intelligently compressing data according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 sets forth a block diagram of a storage array controller useful in intelligently compressing data in a storage array according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 sets forth a flow chart illustrating an example method for intelligently compressing data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 sets forth a flow chart illustrating a further example method for intelligently compressing data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 sets forth a flow chart illustrating a further example method for intelligently compressing data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 sets forth a flow chart illustrating a further example method for intelligently compressing data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 sets forth a flow chart illustrating a further example method for intelligently compressing data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Example methods, apparatuses, and products for intelligently compressing data in a storage array in accordance with the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, beginning with FIG. 1. FIG. 1 sets forth a block diagram of a system configured for intelligently compressing data according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The system of FIG. 1 includes a number of computing devices (164, 166, 168, 170). Such computing devices may be implemented in a number of different ways. For example, a computing device may be a server in a data center, a workstation, a personal computer, a notebook, or the like.

The computing devices (164, 166, 168, 170) in the example of FIG. 1 are coupled for data communications to a number of storage arrays (102, 104) through a storage area network (SAN′) (158) as well as a local area network (160) (‘LAN’). The SAN (158) may be implemented with a variety of data communications fabrics, devices, and protocols. Example fabrics for such a SAN (158) may include Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Infiniband, Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (′ SAS′), and the like. Example data communications protocols for use in such a SAN (158) may include Advanced Technology Attachment (‘ATA’), Fibre Channel Protocol, SCSI, iSCSI, HyperSCSI, and others. Readers of skill in the art will recognize that a SAN is just one among many possible data communications couplings which may be implemented between a computing device (164, 166, 168, 170) and a storage array (102, 104). For example, the storage devices (146, 150) within the storage arrays (102, 104) may also be coupled to the computing devices (164, 166, 168, 170) as network attached storage (‘NAS’) capable of facilitating file-level access, or even using a SAN-NAS hybrid that offers both file-level protocols and block-level protocols from the same system. Any other such data communications coupling is well within the scope of embodiments of the present disclosure.

The local area network (160) of FIG. 1 may also be implemented with a variety of fabrics and protocols. Examples of such fabrics include Ethernet (802.3), wireless (802.11), and the like. Examples of such data communications protocols include Transmission Control Protocol (‘TCP’), User Datagram Protocol (‘UDP’), Internet Protocol (‘IP’), HyperText Transfer Protocol (′HTTP′), Wireless Access Protocol (‘WAP’), Handheld Device Transport Protocol (‘HDTP’), Session Initiation Protocol (‘SIP’), Real Time Protocol (‘RTP’) and others as will occur to those of skill in the art.

The example storage arrays (102, 104) of FIG. 1 provide persistent data storage for the computing devices (164, 166, 168, 170). Each storage array (102, 104) depicted in FIG. 1 includes a storage array controller (106, 112). Each storage array controller (106, 112) may be embodied as a module of automated computing machinery comprising computer hardware, computer software, or a combination of computer hardware and software. The storage array controllers (106, 112) may be configured to carry out various storage-related tasks. Such tasks may include writing data received from the one or more of the computing devices (164, 166, 168, 170) to storage, erasing data from storage, retrieving data from storage to provide the data to one or more of the computing devices (164, 166, 168, 170), monitoring and reporting of disk utilization and performance, performing RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Drives) or RAID-like data redundancy operations, compressing data, encrypting data, and so on.

Each storage array controller (106, 112) may be implemented in a variety of ways, including as a Field Programmable Gate Array (‘FPGA’), a Programmable Logic Chip (‘PLC’), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (‘ASIC’), or computing device that includes discrete components such as a central processing unit, computer memory, and various adapters. Each storage array controller (106, 112) may include, for example, a data communications adapter configured to support communications via the SAN (158) and the LAN (160). Although only one of the storage array controllers (112) in the example of FIG. 1 is depicted as being coupled to the LAN (160) for data communications, readers will appreciate that both storage array controllers (106, 112) may be independently coupled to the LAN (160). Each storage array controller (106, 112) may also include, for example, an I/O controller or the like that couples the storage array controller (106, 112) for data communications, through a midplane (114), to a number of storage devices (146, 150), and a number of write buffer devices (148, 152).

Each write buffer device (148, 152) may be configured to receive, from the storage array controller (106, 112), data to be stored in the storage devices (146). Such data may originate from any one of the computing devices (164, 166, 168, 170). In the example of FIG. 1, writing data to the write buffer device (148, 152) may be carried out more quickly than writing data to the storage device (146, 150). The storage array controller (106, 112) may be configured to effectively utilize the write buffer devices (148, 152) as a quickly accessible buffer for data destined to be written to storage. In this way, the latency of write requests may be significantly improved relative to a system in which the storage array controller writes data directly to the storage devices (146, 150).

A ‘storage device’ as the term is used in this specification refers to any device configured to record data persistently. The term ‘persistently’ as used here refers to a device's ability to maintain recorded data after loss of a power source. Examples of storage devices may include mechanical, spinning hard disk drives, Solid-state drives (e.g., “Flash drives”), and the like.

The storage array controllers (106, 112) of FIG. 1 may be useful in intelligently compressing data according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The storage array controllers (106, 112) may assist in intelligently compressing data by prioritizing one or more data elements in dependence upon an expected benefit to be gained from compressing each data element, receiving an amount of processing resources available for compressing the one or more of the data elements, selecting a data compression algorithm to utilize on one or more of the data elements in dependence upon the prioritization of the one or more data elements and the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements, and performing other functions as will be described in greater detail below.

The arrangement of computing devices, storage arrays, networks, and other devices making up the example system illustrated in FIG. 1 are for explanation, not for limitation. Systems useful according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include different configurations of servers, routers, switches, computing devices, and network architectures, not shown in FIG. 1, as will occur to those of skill in the art.

Intelligently compressing data in a storage array in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure is generally implemented with computers. In the system of FIG. 1, for example, all the computing devices (164, 166, 168, 170) and storage controllers (106, 112) may be implemented to some extent at least as computers. For further explanation, therefore, FIG. 2 sets forth a block diagram of a storage array controller (202) useful in intelligently compressing data in a storage array according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

The storage array controller (202) of FIG. 2 is similar to the storage array controllers depicted in FIG. 1, as the storage array controller (202) of FIG. 2 is communicatively coupled, via a midplane (206), to one or more storage devices (212) and to one or more memory buffer devices (214) that are included as part of a storage array (216). The storage array controller (202) may be coupled to the midplane (206) via one or more data communications links (204) and the midplane (206) may be coupled to the storage devices (212) and the memory buffer devices (214) via one or more data communications links (208, 210). The data communications links (204, 208, 210) of FIG. 2 may be embodied, for example, as Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (‘PCIe’) bus.

The storage array controller (202) of FIG. 2 includes at least one computer processor (232) or ‘CPU’ as well as random access memory (‘RAM’) (236). The computer processor (232) may be connected to the RAM (236) via a data communications link (230), which may be embodied as a high speed memory bus such as a Double-Data Rate 4 (‘DDR4’) bus.

Stored in RAM (214) is an operating system (246). Examples of operating systems useful in storage array controllers (202) configured for intelligently compressing data in a storage array according to embodiments of the present disclosure include UNIX™, Linux™, Microsoft Windows™, and others as will occur to those of skill in the art. Also stored in RAM (236) is a compression optimization module (248), a module that includes computer program instructions useful in intelligently compressing data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

The compression optimization module (248) may intelligently compress data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices by: prioritizing, in dependence upon an expected benefit to be gained from compressing each data element, one or more data elements; receiving an amount of processing resources available for compressing the one or more of the data elements; and selecting, in dependence upon the prioritization of the one or more data elements and the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements, a data compression algorithm to utilize on one or more of the data elements, as will be described in greater detail below.

The compression optimization module (248) may further intelligently compress data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices by: determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an amount of time that the data element is expected to remain stored in the storage array, where the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the amount of time that the data element is expected to remain stored in the storage array; determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an expected compression ratio to be achieved by compressing the data element, where the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the expected compression ratio to be achieved by compressing the data element; determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an expected amount of time required to uncompress the data element, where the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the amount of time required to uncompress the data element; determining the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements; and determining, for one or more compression algorithms, an amount of processing resources required to compress one or more of the data elements utilizing the compression algorithm, as will be described in greater detail below.

The storage array controller (202) of FIG. 2 also includes a plurality of host bus adapters (218, 220, 222) that are coupled to the processor (232) via a data communications link (224, 226, 228). Each host bus adapter (218, 220, 222) may be embodied as a module of computer hardware that connects the host system (i.e., the storage array controller) to other network and storage devices. Each of the host bus adapters (218, 220, 222) of FIG. 2 may be embodied, for example, as a Fibre Channel adapter that enables the storage array controller (202) to connect to a SAN, as an Ethernet adapter that enables the storage array controller (202) to connect to a LAN, and so on. Each of the host bus adapters (218, 220, 222) may be coupled to the computer processor (232) via a data communications link (224, 226, 228) such as, for example, a PCIe bus.

The storage array controller (202) of FIG. 2 also includes a host bus adapter (240) that is coupled to an expander (242). The expander (242) depicted in FIG. 2 may be embodied as a module of computer hardware utilized to attach a host system to a larger number of storage devices than would be possible without the expander (242). The expander (242) depicted in FIG. 2 may be embodied, for example, as a SAS expander utilized to enable the host bus adapter (240) to attach to storage devices in an embodiment where the host bus adapter (240) is embodied as a SAS controller.

The storage array controller (202) of FIG. 2 also includes a switch (244) that is coupled to the computer processor (232) via a data communications link (238). The switch (244) of FIG. 2 may be embodied as a computer hardware device that can create multiple endpoints out of a single endpoint, thereby enabling multiple devices to share what was initially a single endpoint. The switch (244) of FIG. 2 may be embodied, for example, as a PCIe switch that is coupled to a PCIe bus (238) and presents multiple PCIe connection points to the midplane (206).

The storage array controller (202) of FIG. 2 also includes a data communications link (234) for coupling the storage array controller (202) to other storage array controllers. Such a data communications link (234) may be embodied, for example, as a QuickPath Interconnect (‘QPI’) interconnect, as PCIe non-transparent bridge (‘NTB’) interconnect, and so on.

Readers will recognize that these components, protocols, adapters, and architectures are for illustration only, not limitation. Such a storage array controller may be implemented in a variety of different ways, each of which is well within the scope of the present disclosure.

For further explanation, FIG. 3 sets forth a flow chart illustrating an example method for intelligently compressing data in a storage array (300) that includes a plurality of storage devices (302, 304, 306) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Although depicted in less detail, the storage array (300) of FIG. 3 may be similar to the storage arrays described above with reference to FIG. 1. The storage array (300) can include a plurality of storage devices (302, 304, 306), each of which is depicted as storing multiple data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318). Each of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) can represent some unit of data such as, for example, the data stored within an address range of a storage device (302, 304, 306), the data stored within a fixed size unit (e.g., a block, a page) of storage on the storage device (302, 304, 306), a logical grouping of data such as the contents of a particular file, and so on.

The example method depicted in FIG. 3 is carried out, at least in part, by a compression prioritization module (320). The compression prioritization module (320) may be embodied, for example, as a module of computer software executing on computer hardware such as a computer processor. The compression prioritization module (320) may be executing, for example, on a storage array controller such as the storage array controllers that are described above with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

The example method depicted in FIG. 3 includes prioritizing (324), in dependence upon an expected benefit (322) to be gained from compressing each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), one or more data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318). In the example method depicted in FIG. 3, the expected benefit (322) to be gained from compressing each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be a function of many factors. For example, the expected benefit (322) to be gained from compressing each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be a function of the expected compression ratio of each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) as data elements with a higher compression ratio may be associated with a higher expected benefit (322) than data elements with a lower compression ratio. The expected benefit (322) to be gained from compressing each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may also be a function of how long each data element is expected to remain stored within the storage array, as data elements that are expected to be stored on the storage array for a relatively long period of time may be associated with a higher expected benefit (322) than data elements that are expected to be stored on the storage array for a relatively short period of time. Readers will appreciate that the expected benefit (322) to be gained from compressing each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be a function of many additional factors, and that multiple factors may be taken into account in a weighted or unweighted manner. Readers will further appreciate that, although not expressly depicted in FIG. 3, the expected benefit (322) to be gained from compressing each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be calculated by the compression prioritization module (320) or calculated by another module and received by the compression prioritization module (320).

In the example method depicted in FIG. 3, prioritizing (324) one or more data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be carried out, for example, by ranking the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) in dependence upon the expected benefit (322) to be gained from compressing each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), by segmenting the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) into groups (e.g., top 10%, top 25%) in dependence upon the expected benefit (322) to be gained from compressing each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), by assigning a score to each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) in dependence upon the expected benefit (322) to be gained from compressing the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), and so on. Readers will appreciate that by prioritizing (324) one or more data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), limited compression resources such as a CPU cycles can be allocated to compressing those data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) with the greatest expected benefit (322) to be gained from compression, rather than utilizing such limited compression resources to compress data elements whose compression is less beneficial.

Readers will appreciate that prioritizing (324) one or more data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) in dependence upon the expected benefit (322) to be gained from compressing each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be carried out for multiple compression algorithms. In fact, given that one compression algorithm may produce greater expected benefits for one type of data and another compression algorithm may produce greater expected benefits for one type of data, the one or more data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be prioritized differently for different compression algorithms. For example, assume that the expected compression ratio for the six data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) depicted in FIG. 1 is as follows:

TABLE 1 Expected Compression Ratio Data Element Compression Algorithm 1 Compression Algorithm 2 ID Compression Ratio Compression Ratio 308 2.2:1 3.1:1 310 2.4:1 3.0:1 312 2.0:1 3.6:1 314 2.5:1 3.4:1 316 1.9:1 2.9:1 318 1.7:1 2.8:1

In the example depicted in Table 1, utilizing only the expected compression ratio to determine the expected benefit to be gained by compressing each data element, a different prioritization of the data elements would result if compression algorithm 1 was selected versus selecting compression algorithm 2. Readers will appreciate that while compression algorithm 2 generally produces greater data reduction than compression algorithm 1, other factors (e.g., the amount of CPU cycles required to apply each compression algorithm, the amount of time required to apply each compression algorithm, and so on) may ultimately lead to applying compression algorithm 1 rather than compression algorithm 2, as will be described in more detail below.

The example method depicted in FIG. 3 also includes receiving (328) an amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing the one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318). The amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be expressed in terms of a number of CPU cycles that may be utilized for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), as a percentage of time that a CPU may be utilized for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), and so on. Readers will appreciate that the amount of processing resources (326) that available for compressing the one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be determined by a system scheduler or entity tasked with allocating processing resources between many consumers of such resources. As such, the amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may change over time as other consumers of such processing resources demand more or less processing resources. For example, the amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be relatively low when the storage array (300) is servicing a relatively large number of I/O operations and the amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be relatively high when the storage array (300) is servicing a relatively small number of I/O operations.

The example method depicted in FIG. 3 also includes selecting (330), in dependence upon the prioritization of the one or more data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) and the amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), a data compression algorithm (332) to utilize on one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318). Examples of a data compression algorithm (332) can include Lempel-Ziv algorithms, Burrows-Wheeler transform algorithms, dictionary coder algorithms, and many others.

Selecting (330) a data compression algorithm (332) to utilize on one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be carried out, for example, by selecting the combination of a data compression algorithm (332) and one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) that are to be compressed using the data compression algorithm (332) that yields the largest cumulative expected benefit. Readers will appreciate, however, that the combination of a data compression algorithm (332) and one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) that are to be compressed using the data compression algorithm (332) may only be selected when the selected data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be compressed using the selected data compression algorithm (332) by utilizing an amount of processing resources that are equal to or less than the processing resources (326) that are available for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318). Continuing with the example described in Table 1, assume that compressing each data element requires the following amount of processing resources.

TABLE 2 Expected Compression Ratio Compression Compression Algorithm 1 CPU Algorithm 2 CPU Data Element Compression Cycles Compression Cycles ID Ratio Required Ratio Required 308 2.3:1 100 3.1:1 150 310 2.4:1 100 3.0:1 150 312 2.0:1 100 3.6:1 150 314 2.5:1 100 3.4:1 150 316 1.9:1 100 2.9:1 150 318 1.7:1 100 2.8:1 150

In the example depicted above, assume that each data element is 10 MB in size and that the amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing the one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) that was received (328) is 300 processing cycles. In such an example, three data elements (314, 310, 308) could be compressed using compression algorithm 1 within the amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing the data elements. The total amount of space saved by compressing the three highest priority data elements (314, 310, 308) using compression algorithm 1 would be 17.5 MB. In this example, only two data elements (312, 314) could be compressed using compression algorithm 2 within the amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing the data elements. The total amount of space saved by compressing the two highest priority data elements (312, 314) using compression algorithm 2 would be 14.3 MB. As such, the greatest cumulative benefit would be achieved by selecting (330) to compress data elements (314, 310, 308) with compression algorithm 1.

Readers will appreciate that although the example described above includes data elements that are equally sized, this is not included as a limitation. In fact, data elements may be quite disparate in size but the concepts described above may still apply. Readers will further appreciate that although the example described above includes only a single consideration (data reduction), multiple considerations may be taken into account and each consideration may be given equal or unequal weightings according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

For further explanation, FIG. 4 sets forth a flow chart illustrating a further example method for intelligently compressing data in a storage array (300) that includes a plurality of storage devices (302, 304, 306) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The example method depicted in FIG. 4 is similar to the example method depicted in FIG. 3, as the example method depicted in FIG. 4 also includes prioritizing (324) one or more data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), receiving (328) an amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing the one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), and selecting (330) a data compression algorithm (332) to utilize on one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318).

The example method depicted in FIG. 4 also includes determining (402), for each of the plurality of data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), an amount of time (404) that the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is expected to remain stored in the storage array (300). The amount of time (404) that the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is expected to remain stored in the storage array (300) may be determined (402) based on a large number of factors. One factor utilized to determine (402) the amount of time (404) that the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is expected to remain stored in the storage array (300) may be the type of application that has stored the data element in the storage array (300). For example, data elements that are stored by word processing applications may be expected to be stored on storage array (300) for shorter periods of time than data elements stored on storage array (300) by database applications. Another factor utilized to determine (402) the amount of time (404) that the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is expected to remain stored in the storage array (300) may be statistical information that identifies hot and cold memory regions of the storage array (300). For example, data elements that are stored in heavily accessed memory regions may be expected to be stored on storage array (300) for shorter periods of time than data elements that are stored in less heavily accessed memory regions. An additional factor utilized to determine (402) the amount of time (404) that the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is expected to remain stored in the storage array (300) may be the current amount of time that the data element has been stored on the storage array (300), as data elements may exhibit behaviors where the data elements tend to have very long lifespans once they have been stored for more than a threshold period of time. Readers that other factors such as, for example, the size of the data element, the data type of the data element, the historical behavior of a user that caused the data element to be stored in the storage array (300), the number of users that are currently utilizing the data element, and many other factors may be used to determine (402) the amount of time (404) that the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is expected to remain stored in the storage array (300). Readers will appreciate that such factors may be utilized in combination, in a weighted or unweighted manner, to determine (402) the amount of time (404) that the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is expected to remain stored in the storage array (300).

In the example method depicted n FIG. 4, the expected benefit (322) is determined in dependence upon the amount of time (404) that the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is expected to remain stored in the storage array (300). The expected benefit (322) may be solely a function of the amount of time (404) that the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is expected to remain stored in the storage array (300). Alternatively, the expected benefit (322) may be a function of the amount of time (404) that the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is expected to remain stored in the storage array (300), as well as other considerations mentioned above such as an expected compression ratio, an expected amount of time required to decompress a data element, and so on. In such an example, the expected benefit (322) may be determined by utilizing a predetermined formula that utilizes the amount of time (404) that the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) is expected to remain stored in the storage array (300) and any other appropriate considerations as inputs.

For further explanation, FIG. 5 sets forth a flow chart illustrating a further example method for intelligently compressing data in a storage array (300) that includes a plurality of storage devices (302, 304, 306) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The example method depicted in FIG. 5 is similar to the example method depicted in FIG. 3, as the example method depicted in FIG. 4 also includes prioritizing (324) one or more data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), receiving (328) an amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing the one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), and selecting (330) a data compression algorithm (332) to utilize on one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318).

The example method depicted in FIG. 5 also includes determining (502), for each of the plurality of data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), an expected compression ratio (504) to be achieved by compressing the data element. In the example method depicted in FIG. 5, the expected compression ratio (504) can include a quantifiable value that represents the reduction in data-representation size produced by a data compression algorithm. The expected compression ratio (504) can be calculated as the ratio between the uncompressed size of a particular data element and the compressed size of the same data element. In the example method depicted in FIG. 5, the expected compression ratio (504) to be achieved by compressing the data element may be determined (502) based on a large number of factors. One factor that may be used to determine (502) the expected compression ratio (504) can include the historical performance of a particular compression algorithm. For example, if a particular compression algorithm has historically produced a compression ratio of 3:1 while another compression algorithm has historically produced a compression ratio of 4:1, the expected compression ratio (504) to be achieved by compressing the data element may be determined (502) to be consistent with the historical performance of each compression algorithm. Another factor that may be used to determine (502) the expected compression ratio (504) can include the historical performance of particular types of data elements. For example, if data elements of a particular size have historically resulted in a particular compression ratio, if data elements of a stored on the storage array (300) by a particular type of application have historically resulted in a particular compression ratio, the expected compression ratio (504) to be achieved by compressing the data element may be determined (502) to be consistent with the historical performance of similar data elements. Readers will appreciate that such factors may be utilized in combination, in a weighted or unweighted manner, to determine (502) an expected compression ratio (504) to be achieved by compressing each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318).

In the example method depicted in FIG. 5, the expected benefit (322) is determined in dependence upon the expected compression ratio (504) to be achieved by compressing the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318). The expected benefit (322) may be solely a function of the expected compression ratio (504) to be achieved by compressing the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318). Alternatively, the expected benefit (322) may be a function of the expected compression ratio (504) to be achieved by compressing the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), as well as other considerations mentioned above such as the amount of time that the data element is expected to remain stored on the storage array (300), the amount of time required to decompress a particular data element, and so on. In such an example, the expected benefit (322) may be determined by utilizing a predetermined formula that utilizes the expected compression ratio (504) to be achieved by compressing the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) and any other appropriate considerations as inputs.

For further explanation, FIG. 6 sets forth a flow chart illustrating a further example method for intelligently compressing data in a storage array (300) that includes a plurality of storage devices (302, 304, 306) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The example method depicted in FIG. 6 is similar to the example method depicted in FIG. 3, as the example method depicted in FIG. 4 also includes prioritizing (324) one or more data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), receiving (328) an amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing the one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), and selecting (330) a data compression algorithm (332) to utilize on one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318).

The example method depicted in FIG. 6 also includes determining (602), for each of the plurality of data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), an expected amount of time (604) required to uncompress the data element may be based on a large number of factors. One factor that may be used to determine (602) the expected amount of time (604) required to uncompress the data element can include the historical performance of a particular compression algorithm. For example, if a particular compression algorithm has historically uncompressed data elements at a first rate when another compression algorithm has historically uncompressed data elements at a second rate, the expected amount of time (604) required to uncompress the data element may be determined (602) to be consistent with the historical performance of each compression algorithm. Another factor that may be used to determine (602) expected amount of time (604) required to uncompress the data element can include the historical performance of particular types of data elements. For example, if data elements of a particular size have historically been uncompressed at a certain rate, if data elements of a stored on the storage array (300) by a particular type of application have historically uncompressed at a certain rate, the expected amount of time (604) required to uncompress the data element may be determined (602) to be consistent with the historical performance of similar data elements. Readers will appreciate that such factors may be utilized in combination, in a weighted or unweighted manner, to determine (602) expected amount of time (604) required to uncompress each data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318).

In the example method depicted in FIG. 6, the expected benefit (322) is determined in dependence upon the expected amount of time required to uncompress the data element. The expected benefit (322) may be solely a function of the expected amount of time required to uncompress the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318). Alternatively, the expected benefit (322) may be a function of the expected amount of time required to uncompress the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), as well as other considerations mentioned above such as the amount of time that the data element is expected to remain stored on the storage array (300), the expected compression ratio to be achieved for a particular data element, and so on. In such an example, the expected benefit (322) may be determined by utilizing a predetermined formula that utilizes the expected amount of time required to uncompress the data element (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) and any other appropriate considerations as inputs.

For further explanation, FIG. 7 sets forth a flow chart illustrating a further example method for intelligently compressing data in a storage array (300) that includes a plurality of storage devices (302, 304, 306) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The example method depicted in FIG. 7 is similar to the example method depicted in FIG. 3, as the example method depicted in FIG. 4 also includes prioritizing (324) one or more data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), receiving (328) an amount of processing resources (326) available for compressing the one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318), and selecting (330) a data compression algorithm (332) to utilize on one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318).

The example method depicted in FIG. 7 also includes determining (702) the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318). The amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be determined (702), for example, in dependence upon the amount of I/O operations currently being serviced by the storage array (300) the amount of processing resources may be made available for compressing the data elements may increase as the amount of I/O operations currently being serviced by the storage array (300). Alternatively, the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be determined (702) in dependence upon a schedule, as the amount of processing resources made available for compressing the data elements may increase during time periods of historically low system utilization whereas the amount of processing resources made available for compressing the data elements may decrease during time periods of historically high system utilization. In such a way, the amount of processing resources that are made available for compressing one or more of the data elements (308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318) may be determined (702) by taking the processing needs of other tasks and components into consideration.

The example method depicted in FIG. 7 also includes determining (704), for one or more compression algorithms, an expected amount of processing resources required to compress one or more of the data elements utilizing the compression algorithm. Readers will appreciate that different processing algorithms may require a different amount of processing resources to compress the same data element. For example, a first compression algorithm that performs relatively light compression may require a smaller amount of processing resources to compress a data element than a second compression algorithm that performs relatively deep compression. In such an example, the second compression algorithm may also achieve a higher compression ratio than the first compression algorithm, thereby creating a situation where tradeoffs must be made between achieving superior data reduction and conserving processing resources. In the example method depicted in FIG. 7, determining (704) an expected amount of processing resources required to compress one or more of the data elements utilizing a particular processing algorithm may be carried out, for example, based on the amount of processing resources historically required to compress similarly sized data elements using the particular processing algorithm, based on the amount of processing resources historically required to compress data elements of the same type as a target data element using the particular processing algorithm, and so on.

Example embodiments of the present disclosure are described largely in the context of a fully functional computer system. Readers of skill in the art will recognize, however, that the present disclosure also may be embodied in a computer program product disposed upon computer readable media for use with any suitable data processing system. Such computer readable storage media may be any transitory or non-transitory media. Examples of such media include storage media for machine-readable information, including magnetic media, optical media, or other suitable media. Examples of such media also include magnetic disks in hard drives or diskettes, compact disks for optical drives, magnetic tape, and others as will occur to those of skill in the art. Persons skilled in the art will immediately recognize that any computer system having suitable programming means will be capable of executing the steps of the method of the invention as embodied in a computer program product. Persons skilled in the art will recognize also that, although some of the example embodiments described in this specification are oriented to software installed and executing on computer hardware, nevertheless, alternative embodiments implemented as firmware, as hardware, or as an aggregation of hardware and software are well within the scope of embodiments of the present disclosure.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that modifications and changes may be made in various embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from its true spirit. The descriptions in this specification are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the language of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of intelligently compressing data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices, the method comprising: prioritizing, in dependence upon an expected benefit to be gained from compressing each data element, one or more data elements; receiving an amount of processing resources available for compressing the one or more of the data elements; and selecting, in dependence upon the prioritization of the one or more data elements and the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements, a data compression algorithm to utilize on one or more of the data elements.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an amount of time that the data element is expected to remain stored in the storage array, wherein the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the amount of time that the data element is expected to remain stored in the storage array.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an expected compression ratio to be achieved by compressing the data element, wherein the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the expected compression ratio to be achieved by compressing the data element.
 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an expected amount of time required to uncompress the data element, wherein the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the amount of time required to uncompress the data element.
 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements.
 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, for one or more compression algorithms, an amount of processing resources required to compress one or more of the data elements utilizing the compression algorithm.
 7. A storage array controller, the storage array controller including a computer processor and a computer memory, the computer memory including computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the storage array controller to carry out the steps of: prioritizing, in dependence upon an expected benefit to be gained from compressing each data element, one or more data elements; receiving an amount of processing resources available for compressing the one or more of the data elements; and selecting, in dependence upon the prioritization of the one or more data elements and the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements, a data compression algorithm to utilize on one or more of the data elements.
 8. The storage array controller of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the storage array controller to carry out the step of determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an amount of time that the data element is expected to remain stored in the storage array, wherein the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the amount of time that the data element is expected to remain stored in the storage array.
 9. The storage array controller of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the storage array controller to carry out the step of determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an expected compression ratio to be achieved by compressing the data element, wherein the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the expected compression ratio to be achieved by compressing the data element.
 10. The storage array controller of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the storage array controller to carry out the step of determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an expected amount of time required to uncompress the data element, wherein the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the amount of time required to uncompress the data element.
 11. The storage array controller of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the storage array controller to carry out the step of determining the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements.
 12. The storage array controller of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the storage array controller to carry out the step of determining, for one or more compression algorithms, an amount of processing resources required to compress one or more of the data elements utilizing the compression algorithm.
 13. A computer program product, the computer program product disposed on a computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to carry out the steps of: prioritizing, in dependence upon an expected benefit to be gained from compressing each data element, one or more data elements; receiving an amount of processing resources available for compressing the one or more of the data elements; and selecting, in dependence upon the prioritization of the one or more data elements and the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements, a data compression algorithm to utilize on one or more of the data elements.
 14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to carry out the step of determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an amount of time that the data element is expected to remain stored in the storage array, wherein the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the amount of time that the data element is expected to remain stored in the storage array.
 15. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to carry out the step of determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an expected compression ratio to be achieved by compressing the data element, wherein the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the expected compression ratio to be achieved by compressing the data element.
 16. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to carry out the step of determining, for each of the plurality of data elements, an expected amount of time required to uncompress the data element, wherein the expected benefit is determined in dependence upon the amount of time required to uncompress the data element.
 17. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to carry out the step of determining the amount of processing resources available for compressing one or more of the data elements.
 18. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to carry out the step of determining, for one or more compression algorithms, an amount of processing resources required to compress one or more of the data elements utilizing the compression algorithm. 